Power management system and power outlet unit

Abstract

A power management system having: a power supply unit; a power meter that detects the total power consumption of power supplied from the power supply unit; a plurality of current sensors that each detect the current flowing to a plurality of power consumption units connected to the power supply unit; and a control unit that calculates the power consumption of each of the plurality of power consumption units by using the power meter and the plurality of current sensors. A power outlet unit having: an outlet to which power is supplied from the power supply unit; a current sensor that detects the current flowing through the outlet to the power consumption unit connected to the outlet; and a transmission unit that sends current detection results from the current sensor to the power supply unit.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A power management system, comprising:
 a power supplier; 
 a power meter which detects total power consumption of electric power supplied from the power supplier; 
 a plurality of current sensors which detect electric currents passing respectively through a plurality of power consumers connected to the power supplier; and 
 a controller which calculates power consumption by each of the plurality of power consumers based on the plurality of current sensors which detect electric currents passing through a plurality of power consumers, respectively, and the total power consumption by the plurality of power consumers, the total power consumption being detected in total by the power meter without direct detection of respective power consumptions by the plurality of power consumers. 
 
     
     
       2. The power management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a power outlet unit to which electric power is supplied from the power supplier, the power outlet unit including a plurality of outlets to which the plurality of power consumers are connected respectively, wherein the plurality of current sensors are provided respectively in the plurality of outlets to which the plurality of power consumers are connected respectively. 
 
     
     
       3. The power management system according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller controls supply of electric power to the respective outlets. 
     
     
       4. The power management system according to  claim 2 , wherein the power outlet unit includes a transmitter which transmits results of current detection by the current sensors to the power supplier. 
     
     
       5. The power management system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes an inferrer which infers kinds of the plurality of power consumers based on the electric currents detected respectively by the plurality of current sensors. 
     
     
       6. A power management system, comprising:
 a power supplier; 
 a plurality of current sensors which detect electric currents supplied from the power supplier and passing respectively through a plurality of power consumers wherein kinds of the plurality of power consumers are not preliminarily informed; and 
 a controller which infers the kind of each of the plurality of power consumers based on the electric currents detected respectively by the plurality of current sensors. 
 
     
     
       7. The power management system according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller is provided in the power supplier. 
     
     
       8. The power management system according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a power outlet unit which receives electric power from the power supplier, the power outlet unit including a plurality of outlets to which the plurality of power consumers are connectible and a plurality of switches which control supply of electric power to the outlets respectively, wherein the current sensors and a controller are provided in the power outlet unit. 
 
     
     
       9. The power management system according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller infers kinds of the power consumers based on variation of the electric currents passing through the power consumers. 
     
     
       10. The power management system according to  claim 9 , wherein the controller infers the kinds of the power consumers based on one of, or a combination of two or more of, a maximum current, a current variation width, and a current variation pattern with respect to the electric currents passing through the power consumers. 
     
     
       11. The power management system according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller infers the kinds of the power consumers based on a time factor with respect to the electric currents passing through the power consumers. 
     
     
       12. The power management system according to  claim 11 , wherein the controller infers the kinds of the power consumers based on one of, or a combination of, a current consumption time zone and a current consumption frequency with respect to the electric currents consumed by the power consumers. 
     
     
       13. The power management system according to  claim 6 , wherein the controller includes a storage in which a history of variation of the electric currents as fed from the current sensors is stored. 
     
     
       14. The power management system according to  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of current sensors are provided in the power outlet unit, and the power outlet unit includes a communicator which transmits, to the power supplier, results of current detection by the plurality of current sensors and which receives, from the power supplier, control signals for controlling the plurality of switches. 
     
     
       15. The power management system according to  claim 14 , wherein, even when a control signal is received from the power supplier, a switch corresponding to a outlet to which an uninferred power consumer is connected is not controlled. 
     
     
       16. The power management system according to  claim 6  further comprising a power meter which detects power consumption by the plurality of power consumers in total, wherein the controller infers the kind of each of the plurality of power consumers based on the electric currents detected respectively by the plurality of current sensors and the power consumption by the plurality of power consumers in total detected by power meter.